Heiyanthuduwe Raja’s tusks, skeleton preserved

Priyanka KURUGALA

The tusks and skeletal remains of Heiyanthuduwe Raja , the tusked
elephant who carried the Sacred Relics Casket of Sri Dalada Maligawa
from 1991 to 2000, is now exhibited in the Natural Science Museum.

A tusked elephant at the Kandy perahera

The tusks and skeletal remains were ceremoniously opened to be viewed
by the public by National Heritage Minister Jagath Balasuriya recently.

Heiyanthuduwe Raja has carried the Sacred Relics of several prominent
temples in the country including the Kelani temple. It was owned by
Hendri Gunasekera.

“The target of the National Heritage Ministry is to protect the
heritage of this country,” National Heritage Minister Jagath Balasuriya
said.

“Individuals, who have cultural objects of value tend to sell it for
large sums of money to foreign countries. But Gunasekera acknowledging
the value of such items, has bestowed it on the public to be preserved
for future generations,” said the minister.

“This is highly commendable. If he had sold the two tusks, he would
have been able to get about Rs 20 million,” the minister added.

Heiyanthuduwe Raja , when it was little, was captured in the
Kattakaduwana forest in 1945 and sold in an auction in Hambantota
Kachcheri for Rs 10,500. The baby elephant was bought by W E R
Gunasekera, the father of Hendri Gunasekera.

According to his last will, Heiyanthuduwe Raja was handed over to his
son Hendri Gunasekera. The elephant died at Dodamwa in Kandy on November
6, 2002. Hendri Gunasekera handed over Heiyanthuduwe Raja's two tusks
and skeleton to the National Museum in 2004.